Hieron-Taylor Approved for Strikeforce

Jay
Hieron will meet Jesse
Taylor in a non-title welterweight bout this Saturday at
“Carano vs. Cyborg” at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. The
bout, which was approved by the California State Athletic
Commission Monday afternoon, will be one of four fights aired on
Showtime at 10:30 p.m. EST.

Taylor, a veteran of “The Ultimate Fighter 7” TV series, will
replace Nick Diaz, who
failed to take mandatory drug test needed to complete his
re-licensing for a welterweight championship bout against
Hieron.

Diaz did not show up for his originally scheduled drug test on
Friday. The test was re-scheduled Monday, but the CSAC said Diaz
and his reps did not arrange a time to take the test with a CSAC
inspector who was standing by.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said he’d been in contact with Cesar
Gracie, Diaz’s longtime trainer and coach, and had set up two
separate flights to transport the fighter from Lake Tahoe, where he
was training, to Los Angeles. Coker said he’d also been in contact
with the CSAC inspector who would oversee the testing.

“He still has the time to go do it and we’re hoping that he makes
the right decision,” said Coker during a teleconference call on
Monday.

However, Douglas said no communication had been made.

“Nick
Diaz, nor any member of his camp for that matter, has not made
contact with the Office of the California State Athletic Commission
or Inspector Sid Segovia in charge of the ‘second chance’ drug test
that needs to be administered to renew his license,” wrote Douglas
in an email to Sherdog.com at 11:41 a.m. PST.

Coker later confirmed that Diaz missed his scheduled flights to Los
Angeles.

Gracie told Sherdog.com Saturday that Diaz was caught off-guard by
what he calls a change in policy. According to Gracie, former CSAC
Executive Officer Armando Garcia came to an agreement with the
coach and fighter over a year ago that Diaz would be tested for
marijuana, as well as all other non-approved substances, only on
the nights of his scheduled bouts.

Gracie said Diaz has a legal medical prescription for marijuana to
treat a hyperactivity disorder and that Garcia’s arrangement with
the fighter allowed Diaz a two-week window to flush the drug out of
his system.

“They just changed the policy and gave us two days’ notice,” said
Gracie. “We don’t have any options.”

Taylor, who made it to the TV series semifinals before he was
dimissed for disorderly conduct, is on a seven-fight win streak
that includes a first-round technical knockout over Dong Sik
Yoon at Dream 10 on July 20 in Japan.